Led concept development and delivery of immersive exhibition MANIFEST DESTINY for the Adelaide Festival, interpreting photographer Alex Frayne’s analogue body of work into a spatial, multi-sensory experience.
The exhibition centres on Frayne’s images captured over three years across nine U.S. states. My curatorial approach focused on revealing the process behind his practice, particularly his experience travelling across America with analogue cameras and developing film in makeshift motel darkrooms. This insight into the artist’s working method became the conceptual foundation for the exhibition at ILA (Immersive Light and Art).
I also directed and produced the 7-minute immersive experience, presented within ILA’s 100sqm LED studio. Combining motion design, sound design, and music by Donnie Sloan, the work invites audiences into the unseen layers behind the photographs, transforming still images into a sensory, spatial journey through the artist’s process, observations, and travels.
This exhibition demonstrates how immersive can extend photographic practice while maintaining the integrity of the original work.
“In a crowded international program… a local gem.”
“Frayne’s show deserves to tour nationally; it is one of the best photographic exhibitions I have seen in years.”
– Rosemary Neill, The Australian
Credits
Photographic Artist: Alex Frayne
Music Composer: Donnie Sloan
MANIFEST DESTINY Exhibition
Creative Director: Melissa Lee
Program Manager, Exhibition & Merch Design: Elise Short
Programming Coordinator, Marketing Support: Bianca Nilsson
Production & Venue Manager: Daniel Holden
Digital Content & Production Coordinator: Sebastian Rogers
MANIFEST DESTINY Immersive Experience
Director & Producer: Melissa Lee
Motion Graphics: Andrea Pellegrini
Sound Design & Mix: Gary Sinclair
Audio Mastering: William Bowden
Editor: Dave Arnold
Videography: Jack Timberlake
Art Direction Consultant: Anna Fraser
Creative Consultant: Kate Dennis
Creative Support: Bianca Nilsson & Elise Short
Technical Support: Sebastian Rogers & Daniel Holden
